New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-23


not be punished. I hope it will. 10,
you are 8 good man, and don believe
you knew what you were doing. Well,
coroner, have you any doubts Of the
prisoners guilt?'
None, sir. 9
'.And you, Mr.. ?''
Il have serious doubts replied.
What! Haven't you been listening
to the examination?''
..But he has admitted nothing
'.His actions bespeak his guilt as
plain as day, and we shall now take
him before the jury and press him until
he admits the murder
Before Fritz was taken into the room
where the jury was sitting and many
spectators were assembled, Grafton was
permitted to interview him in private
for half an hour. When questioned be-
fore the jury he said:
Il may be the one. / had great
trouble come upon me, and I don t
know what did or where I went. If
it was me I am sorry
On the strengh of this the coroner's
jury rendered verdict that the girl
Jennie came to her death at the hands
of Fritz, and he was taken off to jail
and a warrant sworn out. felt certain
that Will Grafton had killed the girl,
and I expected to exhibit my proofs
before the jury, but when | saw Graf
ton take the matter into his hands I
realized that he suspected and was
prepared to defeat me. The son Will
was present during all the proceedings,
and wore the identical coat from which
the button had been torn. Two of the
servants informed me that he had
worn the garment right along every
day for six months. When I saw that
theverdict of the coroner's jury was a
foregone conclusion, and that Fritz
would be held, determined to hold my
hand until proper time. In my re-
port of the case to my superior I simp-
ly mentioned that Fritz had confessed
and been placed under arrest.
On the second day after Fritz had
been sent to jail Grafton secured an
interview with him on the excuse of
providing him with q lawyer. In that
interview he secured the following
written confessions:
am now quite sure that killed the
girl. got news in a letter which
made me lose my head, and remember
meeting Jennie in the woods and
thinking she was to blame for all my
troubles. 1 don't want to live, and ]
shall plead guilty and ask them to
hang me.
Three days later, when guessed thai
the prisoners despondency had vanish.
ed, and that the thought of the gallows
would nerve him up to begin struggle
for life, paid him visit. I had beer
doing some good work in his favor.
Fritz" I said, '.you read your letter
in the barn, didn't youp"
t'Yes.'
''You tore it up after reading
"Yes; remember"
You were about to 60 for one O
the horses down in the pasture. Whe1
you left the barn you took halter will
you.''
II remember. -
''You reached the lot. thew the halte
into fence corner, and then started o
by the old path leading to the cider
mill. When you passed the school
house you were bare-headed. and yo
had not been from home twenty min
utes.'
Il remember children shouting a
me.''
Il have followed you down that high
way for twelve miles. Then you turne
east by a red school-house, and / hay
traced you six miles further. [ ca
show by the servants at the house thu
you were under their eyes when til
! girl left. and for an hour after. The
your letter came, and you ran to til
barn and read it. Now, then, ho
could you have killed the girl?''
II don't know; but if l didn't, VIII
: didp''
"Mhose knife is this?''
.sThat's William's-''
'+And this buttonp''
: AIs off his coat -
| had all the proofs amy lawyer wou7
want to clear Fritz. Ieould prove th
when he left the house he went to tt
) barn, and from the barn he went in a
opposite direction from the route tt
girl took. I had twenty witnesses wi
met him here or there on the highwa
for a distance of eighteen miles. B
: fore leaving the Jail convinced him
/ his innocence, and in moment Ii
J. seemed precious to him, and he W;